Feeling woozy this morning, but not feeling like going back to bed, which is good because who would get E to school on the Big Day of her 'family tradition' talk about our xmas stockings? And I see by the clock that it's time to get going on that...in a sec.

There's something zen about throwing chickens back. It is a cycle of life thing. Throw chicken back. Chicken found strutting the paddock an hour or so later. Throw chicken back. Chicken found strutting the yard an hour or so later. Throw chicken back. Chicken found strutting the yard an hour or so later. Etc.

I still have no idea how they are doing it. It is never more than one chicken. I am not yet certain it is ALWAYS the same one, just most of the time.

E had a playdate on Saturday that consisted of letting ALL the chickens out to run around, chasing them, throwing them all back in and starting the process all over again. As a result of being tossed several times on Saturday, the 'out' chicken no longer hunkers down to be picked up. She's a tad gun-shy and you have to corner her. Who can blame her?

The chicken goddess now follows this play:I see from my Olympic Height that a chicken has escaped and is happily rooting about in the paddock where it is Not Safe. Eventually, I deign to come down to her world from my height and enter the paddock fence. She runs to me. She makes her obeisance (as indeed she should) by hunkering at my feet. Chicken goddess ignores her. Chicken goddess walks to the chicken run. Chicken on walkabout follows, like one of the cats, the dog, or a chick following mother hen. No lie. She follows her goddess. And eventually, at her choosing, her goddess stoops to pick her up and place her back in her run. The goddess then dispenses, magically, water and feed to all, a bountiful blessing. And returns to Olympos.